


we are beautiful, we are doomed

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck, MS Paint Adventures
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bisexual Dave Strider, College, Friends to Lovers, I just want them to be happy, Love Confessions, M/M, Partying, Slow Burn, college turns john gay, dave has had a thing for john since middle school and john is an idiot, its literally just two idiots falling back in love, strap in this is gunna be a long one, winter break shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:35:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22294177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: john has been in the rushing city of new york for almost a year now, hiding from feelings and past friends but mainly, high school. and dave hasn't changed much except that he is undeniably cuter and so much easier to hold. so when john passes out in his bathroom after impulsive acceptance to get together, and dave finds him, everything falls together again.
Relationships: John Egbert & Dave Strider, John Egbert/Dave Strider, JohnDave, implied vriska/john but vriska cares more about being famous, pepsicola - Relationship
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	we are beautiful, we are doomed

**Author's Note:**

> hi this is my first fic and yes its homestuck and yes it is 2020. im trying my best ok. please be gentle.

The carpet of the bathroom was wet with makeup remover and the occasional forgotten drink. But it was cool against john's back. He was stuck to counting the ceiling tiles, the mundane office building look too interesting to pass up on. The party outside the door and down the hall was overwhelming, the sort of high school reunion john couldn’t stand. His sophomore year girlfriend was out there. Her best friend, who he also dated, was out there. Even his high school friend group, all three, were mingling amongst the crowded living room.

“Are you done in there? It’s been like, ten minutes?” the banging on the door returned, readjusting john to consciousness and sending his face back into the toilet bowl. 

From behind the door, he could hear the groan and stomping away. The towels above him were just in reach, and he took one, pressing it over his mouth to wipe the residue. He hadn’t expected today to fall into such a mess as this. But it was first day back to hometown and the lack of oxygen of being up on Colorado hill suffocated rationality. He’d forgotten to take out his ear piercings before meeting his dad, the first of his impulsive college decisions. The second being growing his hair out. The once gelled masterpiece was shaggy, his curls hiding most of his forehead. So maybe, he’d be unrecognizable to the party goers. But it didn’t matter, as he had locked himself to the bathroom before any real party going could even start. He’d been too set on drinking first, overdoing himself before the music was properly set up. John had been in the bathroom for two hours. Overthinking the people and the clothes he wore and the familiarity of the house’s smell. The text was simple but efficient, sent to forty-six different numbers:  _ my house for catch up?  _

John should've just left it alone. But he couldn’t handle picking through all of his old things, all the forgotten books and mementos left behind. And dave lived just five minutes from his house. It all seemed so perfect. 

He finally mustered the energy to sit back against the cabinet, tossing the towel to his side. The wood was cool, comforting against the growing warmth in his forehead. He closed his eyes for a moment. It was like shrinking, his body finally relaxing and stomach calming. he fell asleep quickly. 

***

Dave had to take John by the waist to completely pick him up. The bathroom was small and John had long legs, sprayed out on the drying carpet. 

Once he was finally standing, Dave cupped Johns face, “Eagle one to eagle two” he whispered, squishing the others cheek ever so slightly. 

“Dave.” John grumbled to awake, eyes fluttering as he began to hold up his own weight. “It seems I have been caught.” 

Dave nodded, “Big time.” 

John dug through his pockets. he pulled out an attachable fake nose and mustache. It clicked onto his glasses perfectly. 

It took everything in dave not to laugh. He instead put his hand out for the other, “Come lay down. You’re ruined, bro.” 

John hesitated out of old habit, the subconscious of _ is this something all guys do _ ? but he couldn’t find the way on his own, so slowly, he took Dave's hand. It was warm and soft in that familiar way. John wanted to crawl into it and never come out. 

“Whatever you say, bro.” He whispered. 

The two moved in silent unity. Dave brought them through half awake conversations and the occasional floor sleeper, covered in a blanket or two, to a small bedroom. Dave’s room was exactly the same as it used to be. tHE desk, made of cement blocks and a 2by4, was huddled in the corner. Posters littered the walls. The only difference was the cleanliness of the floor, no more wires to trip over or expensive DJ-ing equipment readily available to break. John already felt safer. 

“Did you ever release that album?” John asked, throwing himself onto the twin. 

“Two since then, Egbert.” 

“Any songs about me?” 

“That’d be too easy of a roast.” 

John sighed. “Fine. Fine. I see how it is.” 

“Egbert, you ditched for some girl, that’s the most basic of the bro offenses. And the lowest.” Dave moved to the closet, flicking on the fan beside him, before pulling out spare blankets and a pillow. 

John held a hand to his chest and the other to his forehand as if he was struck by the comment. 

“But seriously? Vriska? And for what,” Dave threw the pile in his arms to the floor next to his bed, “weird pirate puss?” 

John sat up, frowning. “She was,” he paused, “fun.” 

“I can be fun.” 

John's laugh came out awkward like puberty. “I just needed to get away, seriously, I wasn’t thinking.” 

Dave sat next to John, eyebrows furrowed, “Was it worth it?” 

“Sort of.” 

Dave laughed, lips curling back into a scoff quickly after. The silence snuck in afterwards, leaving John to take off his shoes and Dave to scroll on his phone. 

“Are you waiting for something?” John spoke only after he threw his shoes across the room, blue sneakers clashing against the pile of red. 

“The apology, Egbert.”

“Oh.” 

John had a lot of ways to explain his situation. He knew exactly what he did, understood the roughness of his departure and the overall destruction of bro-code he’d done. 

“Dave, I—” he started, faltered, and then sighed to himself, “I wanted an adventure. I didn't want to just chill anymore, be here and just do everything like we’ve always had. And Vriska gave me that. At least, she gave me a ride over to that.” 

“So what? You take a gap year and putz around New York with Vriska until she’s ready to move on?” 

“No! No, I needed fresh air. Vriska and I lasted a week, and then she told me I was gay, and now I’m back home after being basically alone in the city. I met a lot of new people and you were so far away I had to make sacrifices. I’m sorry, Dave, really sorry, but I had to make a choice.”

“New York made you a douche, bro.” Dave turned to look at John, “Just say you missed me, that you regret it, and we can just go to bed.”

“I missed you so much. No one gets a joke like you did.” John finally remembered the nose clipped to his glasses and laughed softly, “No one laughed at this stuff. Absolute amateurs.” 

The two sank into the silence for a moment, before John moved forward and pulled Dave into a hug. Eventually, the hug slipped apart, but they stayed intertwined as they got into bed, a leg or arm always brushed up against the other. 

  
  
  



End file.
